Mobile Telecommunications Ltd and National Housing Enterprise (NHE) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), a cooperation which will facilitate and advance smart housing connectivity, through integrated telecommunications infrastructure development, across current and future NHE housing developments in the country.
The strategic partnership establishes a structured framework of collaboration between the two entities, with a strong focus on long-term connectivity planning, digital inclusion, and the delivery of reliable telecommunications services to future homeowners.
Under the agreement, MTC and NHE will work together over the next five years to coordinate co-trenching opportunities for MTC’s Spectra Home fixed services in new housing areas earmarked by NHE. The collaboration will ensure that fibre and related telecommunications infrastructure are incorporated during the civil works phase of housing developments, allowing efficient deployment of internet and connectivity services.
The MOU further seeks to align a commercial stakeholder agreement that will enable both parties to collaborate on civil works, allowing MTC to access open trenches for the installation and commissioning of fibre infrastructure. This approach is expected to reduce infrastructure costs, improve rollout efficiencies, and accelerate access to high-speed internet services for residents within NHE developments.
In addition, the agreement promotes cooperation in areas including fixed-line services, mobile connectivity, internet solutions, wireless technologies, data management, fibre installation, surveillance systems, and other telecommunications and information technology services that may be required across present and future NHE projects.
Dr Licky Erastus highlighted that “Owning a house that is smart and digitally connected must not be optional. This cooperation, therefore, will be driving and expanding, through a shared structured framework, the advancement of Namibia’s housing and digital transformation agenda – where we will be building communities that are not only equipped with quality housing but also connected through reliable and future-ready telecommunications infrastructure.” Erastus added “a Joint Technical Steering Committee (JTSC) will be established to oversee planning processes, facilitate technical coordination, and support the commissioning of services in identified housing development areas.”
The Chief Executive Officer of The National Housing Enterprise, Gisbertus Mukulu, emphasised the importance of strategic collaboration among State -Owned Enterprises, noting that such partnerships enable institutions operating under the same Government framework to complement one another’s resources, strengthen service delivery, and collectively empower the communities they serve.
Mukulu further highlighted that “The partnership aligns with the mandate of the National Housing Enterprise to provide viable and sustainable low-to medium -cost housing solutions that are fully equipped to meet the evolving needs of Namibians. In light of the increasingly technology-driven environment, he stated that the partnership will support the delivery of affordable, quality smart homes with enhanced digital connectivity for clients.”
The partnership also provides for joint customer-centric initiatives, research collaboration, data sharing, and innovative service solutions aimed at supporting Namibia’s broader social and economic transformation agenda. These efforts align with national and continental development frameworks, including Vision 2030, Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals, and Namibia’s National Development Plan.
The signing of this MOU marks a significant step towards creating digitally enabled communities and advancing smart, connected housing developments across Namibia.